Concert review/photos: Peter Buck / Alejandro Escovedo @ Lincoln Hall in Chicago
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Perhaps because February in Philly just hasn't been brutal enough, I found myself in the Chicago area last weekend.
[ 2/22 ] Perhaps because February in Philly just hasn't been brutal enough, I found myself in the Chicago area last weekend. It just so happened that Lincoln Hall, a former movie theater now turned premier music venue, had the head-turning double bill of Peter Buck and Alejandro Escovedo.
Touring behind his new LP I Am Back to Blow Your Mind Once Again, Buck was joined by the usual suspects — guitarists Scott McCaughey and Kurt Bloch and drummer Bill Rieflin — for a set of garage rock. Beginning the night by welcoming everyone to Chicago as if they did not know where they were, Buck was the oddball band leader he has been since he began his new career as a singer in 2012. He spoke in fits of Spanish, especially to introduce “Vaso Loco,” about a potent drink that he suggested one would make and imbibe if they wanted to be like him. And to be Buck in 2014 is to have a ton of fun onstage, as he was leaping about and playing a Rickenbacker for one of the few times since R.E.M. called it a day. His set’s strengths since he went solo have been bluesy numbers like “I’m Alive” and “(You Must Fight to Live) On the Planet of the Apes,” while the Ramones-esque “Gotta Get Outta the House” from his new record fits in just fine. While rarely alluding to the past, he did mention seeing Hound Dog Taylor in Chicago in 1982 as a preamble to his cover of Taylor’s “Give Me Back My Wig.” A tight 45-minute set proved to be a good taste to whet the sold-out crowd’s appetite for Escovedo.
Sporting a pompadour, Escovedo, backed by Buck’s band plus Susan Voelz on violin, had the crowd wrapped around his finger. His jagged voice and expert guitar licks were in abundance, as were sing-alongs, most notably for the stunning “Sally Was a Cop.” And then there was the softness where harmonies reigned supreme, as was evidenced in “Sensitive Boys,” with McCaughey providing the main backing vocals. Many songs, including the staple “Always a Friend,” were bookended by mini-jam sessions between Escovedo, Bloch and Voelz or Escovedo and Buck. Everyone was having a blast jumping back and forth between Escovedo and covers of songs like Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane,” but conclusions are inevitable, with this one being a doozy. The encore featured Escovedo and Volez alone for two songs: the stunning narrative of “Rosalie” and a gorgeous, heart-wrenching cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes.” Harkening back to the early 1980s when R.E.M. would cover the latter, the past was thick in the air. It was only fitting that Buck was absent for that but was brought back out with the rest of the band for a rousing finale in “All the Young Dudes.” The youthful punk spirit was apparent here as it had been all evening, with Escovedo calling to the crowd to remember David Bowie’s lyrics. The band exited to a crowd gushing with enthusiasm while Escovedo and company themselves were appreciative of each other, apparent with the exchanging of hugs and smiles, and for every concertgoer who came out, as they were clapping with the crowd. Join in with this appreciation when Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys visit World Cafe Live on Thursday, April 24.
Chris Sikich always seems to find himself at Peter Buck shows. You can find Chris at Countfeed.
